Confrimed - Abbey and Holmes going

[Brogue]

Sbwd Twitter just posted something very odd. Suggesting it’s not quite over yet

[rabidbee]

Edit: Never mind.

[Clyde1998]

On the club website now: https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/f ... come-Zane/

Based on some of the previous positions on TransferMarkt (take with some salt), he's also played DM, RB and LB in the past. Maybe he won't be playing CB as we're expecting?

[Clyde1998]

What is Sbwd?

Sell Before We Dai

[rabidbee]

Ta, eventually worked it out. Slow brain tonight.

[Clyde1998]

Sbwd Twitter just posted something very odd. Suggesting it’s not quite over yet

https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 5328980146
"Don’t go to bed just yet #ReadingFC fans…there’s still stuff to be embarrassed by for a certain CEO.
[Picture of a golden shower room]"

Perhaps they're going to leak the transfer fees we've got or something?

[Snowflake Royal]

Disappointed we continue to make pointless signings in the wrong area.

But the outgoings have been tolerable.

[rabidbee]

Sbwd Twitter just posted something very odd. Suggesting it’s not quite over yet

https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 5328980146
"Don’t go to bed just yet #ReadingFC fans…there’s still stuff to be embarrassed by for a certain CEO.
[Picture of a golden shower room]"

Perhaps they're going to leak the transfer fees we've got or something?

Golden showers? Has Christopher Steele got a dossier on Dai too?

[Sutekh]

Well it's more or less all done now and looks very much like the club have indeed managed to keep the players that matter. Caylan Vickers has moved to Brighton for an undisclosed fee but thankfully Selles had the masterstroke of never playing him after finding out he was quite useful so the team won't miss him in a playing sense. Just for the record Oxford signed Jay Matete from Sunderland and will no doubt be an unknown quantity for the club to face on Saturday.

On the positive side Reading have managed to agree a loan deal for young Arsenal defender Zane Monlouis to presumably replace what Nelson Abbey offered. Seems a bit daft given the numbers of defensive options remaining at the club compared to the lack of striking options after losing Ballard, but then this is Selles.

[rabidbee]

I don't think you can blame Selles on that score. Supposedly we haven't paid a loan fee for Monlouis, so either somebody has worked some good personal contacts, or Arsenal really want to give this guy plenty of experience of last-ditch defending. I'm sure the management team at Reading would have liked to bring in strength elsewhere, but with no money for wages or fees what were the options likely to be?

[Clyde1998]

Sbwd Twitter just posted something very odd. Suggesting it’s not quite over yet

https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 5328980146
"Don’t go to bed just yet #ReadingFC fans…there’s still stuff to be embarrassed by for a certain CEO.
[Picture of a golden shower room]"

Perhaps they're going to leak the transfer fees we've got or something?

Golden showers? Has Christopher Steele got a dossier on Dai too?

Wasn't quite what I was expecting: https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 7398285539

Seems SBWD has found Pang's Twitter account, which has liked a tweet showing a video of a women peeing herself.

[Orion1871]

I don't think you can blame Selles on that score. Supposedly we haven't paid a loan fee for Monlouis, so either somebody has worked some good personal contacts, or Arsenal really want to give this guy plenty of experience of last-ditch defending. I'm sure the management team at Reading would have liked to bring in strength elsewhere, but with no money for wages or fees what were the options likely to be?

That will be the Kiancer

https://m.allfootballapp.com/news/EPL/Some-eyebrow-raising-deals-at-Arsenal-overseen-by-agent-Kia-Joorabchian/2377961

[Brogue]

https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 5328980146
"Don’t go to bed just yet #ReadingFC fans…there’s still stuff to be embarrassed by for a certain CEO.
[Picture of a golden shower room]"

Perhaps they're going to leak the transfer fees we've got or something?

Golden showers? Has Christopher Steele got a dossier on Dai too?

Wasn't quite what I was expecting: https://twitter.com/SellBeforeWeDai/sta ... 7398285539

Seems SBWD has found Pang's Twitter account, which has liked a tweet showing a video of a women peeing herself.

All very odd and unsavoury. What a weird way to end the day.

[From Despair To Where?]

It's stuff like this that makes me think SBWD are a bunch of 15 year old boys. It's all so childish.

[Stranded]

It's stuff like this that makes me think SBWD are a bunch of 15 year old boys. It's all so childish.

Active decision made to move to more personal attacks on Dai and Pang - which seems valid. Personally couldn't care less what he likes/posts on his personal Twitter Feed and if its still there after a long period of time, doubt he's that fussed either.

But its a valid tactic - not going to support every angle they take and frankly nor should any individual, which is why they are coming at things from a number of different angles.

[Snowflake Royal]

At this point there's not an awful lot left to try that isn’t a bit unsavoury or ineffective.

[Stranded]

Anyway,

Back to strongest XI check:

Probable strongest XI on Jan 1st:

Button
Yiadom
Abbey
Holmes
Dorsett
Azeez
Knibbs
Wing
Craig (or Savage)
Mukairu
Smith

Probable stongest XI on Feb 2nd

Button
Yiadom
Bindon
Holmes (loan)
Dorsett
Azeez
Knibbs
Wing
Craig (or Savage)
Mukairu
Smith

Bench probably a little weaker but would look something like this on Saturday

Pereria, Mola, Monlouis, Elliott, Ehibhatiomhan, Mbengue, Craig/Savage

With initial back up to that 18 from Dean, Hutchinson, Camara, Rushesha, Carson, CBC - with the likes of Wellens and Wareham who are probably next in line to break into the squad.

Given the situation we are in, that is pretty much OK and should have enough about it to push on up the table (barring more points deductions).

Depressing losing some young talent but as said, one of the reasons you have an Academy is to produce marketable players that clubs in higher divisions may want - and in our current situation, that is preferrable that losing key first team players, which for this season at least, we have only lost Abbey.

[Snowflake Royal]

It seems pretty unlikely we'd get Manlouis for basically free without Arsenal demanding we play him.

So I expect we'll see him in ahead of Bindon regardless of how good he is, and Bindon's development falter.

[Stranded]

It seems pretty unlikely we'd get Manlouis for basically free without Arsenal demanding we play him.

So I expect we'll see him in ahead of Bindon regardless of how good he is, and Bindon's development falter.

Strong chance but also the may decide it is just better for him to now be part of a first team environment for a bit - he's played around 50 games in PL2 - so training and involvement in first team games is the next step - so may have put an ask for him to be part of squads if fit but not necessarily starting.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Well it certainly could have been a worse end to the window, at least we managed to keep hold of our best players at the very least maybe bar Abbey. The team posted above should have enough for us to stay up barring any other points deductions, it's now back to worrying about updates on any potential sale of the club.